Scooter or moped...are any islands "safe"?
 

I've heard that many Caribbean Islands are rather dangerous for riding mopeds or scooters - terrible or narrow roads, potholes, crazy drivers etc. As an example, many have said St. Maartin is unsafe and don 't recommend it.

Is anyone knows much about the islands, specifically Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Tobago and (St. Maartin), and you were at least somewhat skilled on a 50cc moped, woulod YOU rent one, or they all crazy dangerous?

Thanks in advance.

I am a very regularly visitor to the places you list. I get around by taxi for the most part but have rented cars from time to time. I've never tried a scooter or moped.

Barbados: a national level cyclist was killed recently, I beleive on the main road from the airport into Bridgetown. I find the drivers here a bit too fast for my liking and I've seen several dangerous passing manoevers, especially on the aiport road.
Dominica: very, very, very hilly.
Grenada: I might be temped to try it here.
Tobago: no experience
St. Maartin: some of the best and widest roads for a small Caribbean island (Cayman and Aruba would be better).
--
13F

That's tough. Most places have bad roads. The places that have good roads have drivers that go fast (and usually the good roads still aren't all that wide and well marked).

I'd probably try somewhere without so many people, like Carriacou, Barbuda,

We rented a car in Tobago. I don't think I would rent a moped unless it was just for putting around Pigeon Point area. Tobago has mountains in the middle. The roads are narrow and steep. The locals don't drive horribly bad, but as a tourist I still found it intimidating on the curvy mountain roads.

I have driven the 50cc scooters on a couple of islands without incident but I quit doing it as it seemed to be more and more risky. Too many locals driving much to faster and more erratic than in past years. As for driving on the left side of the road it was much easier to do than in a car.

MisterNice

For all the reasons listed above, along with the fact many of these tourist spots have tourists driving on often steep roads with which they are not familiar, I do not use mo-peds ever.

Whenever we see them on the road, Mrs. Flews refers to them organ donars.

Cheers,

I cannot speak for the other islands, but you may be alright renting a scooter in Grenada. Most of the driving distances are short in Grenada, as the action is generally centered in the S/SW area of the island. The roads are not bad, but there are definitely some steep ones if you want to venture further outside of the main tourist spots. I probably wouldn't rent a scooter there if I was a beginner. That being said, if you feel comfortable on one and aren't driving significant distances, then I'd say Grenada's a decent place to rent one.

In St Maareten, scooters and motercycles are often called suicycles.

Get a car.